A HEAD START PROGRAM'S SUDDEN SHUTDOWN CATCHES PARENTS OFF GUARD AND PROMPTS AN APOLOGY. THEY GOT A LETTER TODAY THAT CHANGED THEIR SUMMER PLANS IN A BIG WAY. Ruth: IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN REPORTING ON, THE HEAD START PROGRAM HAS SERIOUS FUNDING PROBLEMS. PARENTS CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BUT CAN'T UNDERSTAND GETTING A LETTER SAYING THE PROGRAM SHUT DOWN THE DAY BEFORE IT HAPPENED. LAUREN PODELL HAS THE STORY. Lauren: THIS IS A PRIORITY SCHOOL WITH DPS. THAT MEANS CLASS STAYS IN SEARCH FOR PRE-K TO EIGHTH-GRADERS UNTIL JULY 8, OR THAT'S WHAT SOME WORKING MOMS AND DADS THOUGHT. DON'T BRING HER BACK TO SCHOOL ANYMORE. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE PARENTS BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO GET THEIR EDUCATION AND COME BACK AND TO LEARN. Lauren: CHUT THIS LETTER SENT HOME ON TUESDAY THE 17th, ALERTING PARENTS THE LAST DAY WAS MONDAY THE 16th, ALL OF THIS DUE TO THE LACK OF FUNDING. IMAGINE THEIR CONFUSION. I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO TELL PARENTS TODAY WAS ACTUALLY THEIR LAST DAY. AND KIDS CAME BECAUSE WE HAD A FIELD TRIP TODAY, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY THEY'RE THERE. IT'S CRAZY SPUR OF THE MOMENT LIKE THAT FOR ALL THE PARENTS WHO HAVE JOBS AND NOW HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR KIDS. Lauren: PRE-K STUDENTS WERE SCHEDULED FOR AN END OF THE YEAR FIELD TRIP. THE LETTER SAID THE TRIP WAS CANCELED, BUT THANKS TO THE TEACH, THEY HOPPED ON. SHE IS VOLUNTEERING TO GO, NOT EVEN GETTING PAID FOR IT. THAT'S HOW MUCH SHE LOVED THE KIDS. Lauren: PARENTS WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE MOVING-UP CEREMONY WILL STILL BE HAPPENING ON JULY 8 FOR THEIR PRE-KINDERGARTENERS. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR FUTURE HEAD START STUDENTS? THAT QUESTION IS STILL UNANSWERED. REPORTING FROM DETROIT, LAUREN PODELL. LOCAL 4. Ruth: RECONTACTED DPS AND THEY RELEASED THIS STATEMENT:

"I dropped my daughter off at school Monday and they told me not to bring her back after that, that school was over,” said Brandon Gibson, whose 5-year-old daughter is in the program. "This is just crazy. This is so last-minute, especially for parents who have to work. What are we going to do?”

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Gompers Elementary and Middle School is considered a “priority” school with DPS. That means Pre-K students through eighth grade attend class through July 8, at least that’s what some parents thought.

“Their last day is on the 7th of July with a ceremony on the 8th,” said Gibson.

A letter sent home to parents on Tuesday alerted them that their child’s last day with Head Start was Monday. Why? Due to the lack of funding from the district. Imagine parents' confusion.

“I can’t believe they waited to the last minute to tell the parents like this,” said Ebony Carpenter, who has a niece in the program.

Head Start students like Gibson's daughter, Damiyah, were scheduled to go on a field trip to Huckleberry Farms. According to the letter, the field trip was canceled. But Gibson says thanks to the Head Start teacher Kimberly Woodfolk, the students won't miss out.

“Ms. Woodfolk is volunteering to go. She’s not getting paid for it. That’s how much she loves the kids,” he Gibson.

While the program did end early, parents were told the students “Moving Up” ceremony will still be held on its regular date, July 8.

Detroit Public Schools statement:

Gompers staff made an attempt to reach all PreK Head Start parentsyesterday to tell them that the field trip scheduled for today is not canceled and their children can participate. It is true that the Head Start Extended Year program cannot continue due to the lack of Head Start funding. The district vigorously explored other funding options to cover the cost of Extended Year Head Start at Gompers and other schools but no funding could be identified. We regret the lack of notice to Gompers parents and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this school-level communications breakdown has created.

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